Of Ice & Fire
by VampireKnightgrlKiwi
Summary: *Fictional Character x Itachi* *Yuki Clan History* Kiikame, a refugee from the Yuki Clan adjusts to her new life in Konoha. Haunted by the memories of her clans extermination, Kiikame dedicates all of her time and energy to training. Her commitment pays off and she becomes the top in her class, but what happens when the enigmatic, attractive Uchiha prodigy crosses her path?
1. Chapter 1

Of Ice & Fire

Hello everyone! In honor of Naruto and it's inevitable ending in approximately 5 weeks (gahh so sad), I decided that I would try my hand at an Itachi fan fiction. I have read tons of others, but I wanted to create my own unique version. This is my very first fan fiction (and public post of my work) ever, so constructive criticism, advice, and ideas are ALWAYS welcome. Enjoy! :)

Chapter 1

Beads of sweat slowly trickled down Kiikame's bright red face. She stood in the middle of the forest, both hands on her knees, attempting to catch her breath.

She had been training constantly for three long hours, alone among the trees of Konoha. Her first day at the Academy was tomorrow, and she wanted to make sure she were prepared. Kiikame always strove to be the best, no matter what the cost.

Before gathering her things, she gave one last attempt to fully activate her kekkei genkai. She was of the Yuki Clan, meaning that she was blessed with the ability to combine wind and water-based chakra to create ice. She concentrated as hard as she could, gathering what little chakra she had left after all of her intense training. Staring fiercely at the puddle of water in front of her, Kiikame once again attempted to freeze the water and bend the ice to her will. After a few short seconds, the surface of the water hardened, reflecting Kiikame's exhausted features on its clear, shiny exterior. Despite her best efforts, the ice remained where it was. Kiikame growled in irritation, but because she was in a rather exhausted state, she finally decided to call it a day and head back home.

After gathering her belongings, she began hopping from tree to tree, quietly humming a melody to herself. Kiikame had only been traveling for a few minutes when she suddenly heard a flurry of noises.

'What was that?' Kiikame thought to herself, 'It sounded like… kunai's hitting a tree?...'

Kiikame stopped all movement and listened carefully. It sounded like someone else was training, and by the sound of it, they were pretty darn good!

She cautiously peeked from behind the tree she was standing on, and what greeted her eyes made her mouth drop open.

It was a boy who looked about her age, with medium-length charcoal colored hair tied neatly in a low ponytail, and clad in a black t-shirt with the Uchiha symbol on it. He was facing away from her, crouched in a ready position.

'An Uchiha, huh?' Kiikame thought to herself, 'I've heard they're quite gifted.'

As if to confirm her thought, he jumped high into the air, spinning around skillfully, throwing multiple kunai's and hitting each and every one of the various targets right on the bull's eye.

Kiikame stared in amazement at the boy as he landed softly on the ground, facing her direction. She had to admit, he was attractive. He had raven colored bangs that framed his perfectly proportioned features, his shining black eyes had a mysterious yet intriguing glint to them, and…

All of a sudden her thoughts were interrupted.

"Hey!", the mysterious boy started, looking in her direction.

Kiikame didn't stick around to explain herself, much less hear what else he had to say, she was gone in a flash, jumping through the trees as fast as her legs could carry her.

'Did he see me? What will I do if he's at the Academy tomorrow and he recognizes me?! Even worse, what if we end up on the same team?! That would be so embarrassing, he'll probably think I'm some sort of stalker! What were you thinking, Kiikame?!' she mentally berated herself, unaware that the boy was following, attempting to catch up.

"Hey, wait up!" shouted the boy from behind.

'Oh man! He's going to catch me if I don't do something quick!' Kiikame thought frantically to herself.

Glancing ahead of her, Kiikame noticed that there was a pond about 10 feet away.

"Perfect!" she exclaimed, now confident that she could escape.

Jumping down from the trees, Kiikame sprinted to the pond, her long blonde hair flying behind her wildly. Concentrating her chakra, she stepped onto the pond, instantly freezing the surface. Kiikame smiled to herself as she began to skate over the smooth surface, gaining speed with every step.

Once at the other side of the pond, she threw herself back into the trees, breaking once again into a full sprint, not daring to look back, even for a second.

**Itachi's POV**

Itachi suddenly felt a presence, he could tell that someone was watching him. He quickly scanned the area, and about 15 feet away, he saw a piercing, bright blue eye peering at him from behind a tree. Realizing they were caught, the person rapidly hid back behind the tree.

"Hey, wait! Who are—", Itachi began to say, but the mysterious person had begun to retreat, at a rather hurried pace, he might add.

From what he could tell, the person was a girl, around his own age, about 9-10. Using his sharp eyesight, he concluded that she had… was it blonde hair?...He wasn't quite certain at this distance, due to its rather light color.

Determined to catch up, Itachi began to fly through the trees after the girl.

"Hey, wait up!" Itachi shouted.

Instead of getting the response he desired, he noticed immediately that the girl quickened her pace. Slightly annoyed, Itachi quickened his pace as well, trying to determine whether or not he knew who she was.

The strange girl kept leaping through the trees at top speed, suddenly dropping to the ground at the shore of a small pond and coming to a complete stop.

'This is my chance', Itachi thought to himself, increasing his speed and approaching the blonde haired girl as fast as he could.

Then out of nowhere, the girl began flying across the pond on what appeared to be ice, generated by none other than herself.

Half surprised and half impressed, Itachi came to an abrupt halt, his eyes following the girl closely.

'The Yuki Clan', Itachi affirmed to himself as he watched her fading figure, 'She must be from the Yuki Clan. How strange, I thought they had all been exterminated.'

**End of POV**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Absolutely drained of energy, Kiikame stumbled wearily back into town. Her slightly disheveled appearance and heavy panting earned some curious glances from people walking by, but she ignored them and continued on her way home.

As Kiikame's breathing finally evened out and her heart rate returned to normal from her frenzied escape, she realized how hungry she was.

Whilst searching around the various markets and food places for something to eat, someone crashed into her without warning, causing her to fall violently to the ground.

Kiikame gingerly stood back up, brushed herself off, and turned around to shoot this person a glare. Upon realizing who it was, she immediately broke into a relieved, yet slightly irritated smile.

"My god Miri, you scared the absolute crap out of me! Watch where you're going next time!" Kiikame said giving Miri a light punch on the arm.

Miri pouted innocently and then said, "I don't know what you're talking about, Kiikame. I would NEVER run into YOU."

"Oh really?" Kiikame stated sarcastically, arching an eyebrow.

"Okayyyy, finnneeee," Miri drawled, "I'm sorry I plowed you over, BUT maybe you should be more aware of your surroundings, Miss Ki-Kam-Aye! We are going to be selected tomorrow for teams and no one will want someone who is so clumsy and unaware of her surroundings!"

"I'M clumsy? Who was the one who ran into me?!" Kiikame retorted, pointing an accusing finger at Miri.

Obviously at a loss for words, Miri simply gave Kiikame a cheeky smile and shrugged.

"Okay, okay you win this one! Now come with me, I've been looking for you for AGES," she whined, emphasizing the last word.

"Where are we going exactly?" Kiikame asked curiously.

"Uh, the bathhouse… DUH!" exclaimed Miri, "we have to look good for tomorrow, I mean who knows, we might be paired up with cute boys!"

Kiikame rolled her eyes and sighed at Miri's incredibly juvenile comment. Despite the fact that they both were only 10 years old, everything that the two had gone through before coming to Konoha had matured them in ways beyond their years. Well, it had matured KIIKAME at least. Miri on the other hand seemed to have kept her childlike immaturity and innocence, which was something that Kiikame both loved and hated most about her.

Kiikame loved it because it helped her actually feel her age, relieving her from her various stresses and burdens. Unfortunately at the same time, Kiikame also felt disconnected from Miri at a deeper, more intellectual level. It was irritating, because she felt so alone.

There wasn't anyone who she could fully relate to. It seemed as though Kiikame was stuck with the mind of someone much older and wiser, whilst everyone else her age was stuck with minds that were, well, their age! It was incredibly frustrating.

Despite all of Kiikame's mental protests, Miri's mention of cute boys caused the mysterious Uchiha she saw in the forest to cross her mind. She quickly cleared him out of her head. She needed to focus on her training, she DIDN'T need any distractions.

Both of them were lucky to be here, their clan had been completely annihilated and Konoha was willing to take the two in as refugees. Kiikame wanted to prove to not only herself, but to everyone else that she was worthy of being a ninja. Most of all, she desperately wanted their approval.

Kiikame wanted to bring honor to her clan, even if her and her friend were the all that was left. They were the only survivors of the civil war that literally tore their small, but maliciously resented clan to pieces.

Well, the exception was Haku, but he had run away with Zabuza. He was a wanted member of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist and a missing-nin of Kirigakure.

Kiikame and Miri missed Haku dearly. He was a selfless, hard-working, and talented shinobi. He was the only other surviving member of the Yuki Clan besides her and Miri, and the three had been very close.

The war was so chaotic and violent, however, that it was a miracle Kiikame and Miri had found each other in time to escape. Both had searched for Haku after the war for weeks on end, traveling from town to town, but all hope was lost for finding and reuniting with him once they found out he was associated with a dangerous missing-nin. Haku was probably dead by now, and if he wasn't, he had a great chance of winding up dead sooner or later.

Miri gave Kiikame a questioning glance and waved her hand close to Kiikame's face, but she didn't notice, as she was lost in her own thoughts.

"Kiikame? Kiiiikammeee? EARTH TO KIIKAME!" exclaimed Miri, waving her arms around like a maniac.

Kiikame grunted in surprise at the sudden interruption, "Oh, I-uh….sorry about that.." she said sheepishly, scratching the back of her head.

Miri rolled her eyes and scooted right up to Kiikame's ear. Then in an unnecessarily loud voice Miri said, "KI-KAM-AYE, WE NEED TO GO GET SOME DIN-NER, MI-RI IS VE-RY HUN-GRY. THEN WE NEED TO GO TO THE BATH-HOUSE SO WE CAN LOOK GOOD FOR THE BOYS, DO YOU UN-DER-STAND ME?" Miri stated, stressing each and every syllable in a mocking, yet playful tone.

"OF COURSE I UN-DER-STAND YOU, YEESH MURR-EEEEYYY!" Kiikame retaliated, shoving Miri away from her, a good-natured grin beginning to sneak its way onto her features.

"Well you didn't seem to understand me, much less hear me before! Whatever, follow me!" said Miri, as she took Kiikame's wrist, leading her into a local sushi place, plopping her down at a small table for two.

After looking at the menu for a couple minutes, Kiikame settled for a bowl of miso soup, some shake (salmon), manguro (tuna), and hamachi (yellowtail) sashimi, steamed vegetables with brown rice, and a perfectly warm cup of green tea. Miri ordered some chicken udon noodles, a cucumber roll, unagi (eel), and a cup of green tea as well. While they both enjoyed their meal, they discussed various things, ranging anywhere from techniques and training, to worries about tomorrows team selection.

Then out of nowhere, Miri brought up the whole "cute boy" thing again.

"I just hope that I get paired up with someone cute!" she said dreamily, "Don't you? I mean we could use some excitement for once in our lives! After all, the only boy we had in our clan was Haku, and everyone else hated us…" she trailed off, a hint of sadness and longing in her eyes. Miri and Kiikame knew why they all hated them, the Yuki Clan had always been feared and resented for their Kekkei Genkai, especially after the civil war.

Kiikame simply shrugged at her comment, looking down at the table and said, "I think we've already had enough excitement to last us a lifetime…"

"You've sure got a point there, but this is DIFFERENT excitement I'm referring to," stated Miri excitedly, "Let's try again; do you want to be on a team with someone cute?"

Kiikame sighed heavily, flipping some of her long platinum blonde hair out of her face.

"No. I don't care who I am teamed up with, as long as I can pass the Chunnin exams and improve my skills as a ninja," she stated matter-of-factly, even though Kiikame knew that she wasn't exactly telling the truth. Despite her comment and mental resistance, she still couldn't get that attractive Uchi—wait no, no, NO! Kiikame was NOT going there! She had a job to do, and nothing would stop her from accomplishing it…or so she liked to believe.

**This story will continue to be updated once/twice a week depending on how much time I have. After I finish the third chapter, I will select specific days that I will update this story. Suggestions, reviews, PM's, ideas, etc. are ALL welcome and appreciated. Thank you all for your support! :)**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The soft golden rays of the early morning greeted Kiikame in quite the unpleasant manner as Miri threw back the curtains of their small two-bedroom apartment.

"Good morning, my beautiful nii-san (sister)! Get up, get up, GET UP!" Miri shouted in an excited, lilting tone.

Kiikame groaned and flipped onto her back, closing her eyes and letting the gentle beginnings of sunshine warm her face.

"You know it's 4 in the morning, right?" Kiikame stated plainly, grabbing her alarm clock and showing it to Miri.

"Oh, I—erhm…I, uh….I didn't know.." Miri scratched the back of her head and gave an unsure smile, blushing out of embarrassment.

"Whatever, it's alright. I guess we just have extra time to get prepared for our first day at the Academy. HOWEVER, we are setting your clock to the proper time so you don't wake us up again at the crack of dawn." Kiikame said slightly annoyed, as she arched her brow and gave Miri an unimpressed scowl.

Even though Miri wasn't Kiikame's biological sister, both lived with each other after escaping from the war, and as a result, the two were very close.

Kiikame swiftly threw off her covers and walked to the bathroom where her outfit was already laid out. Fifteen minutes later, her long blonde hair was in a neat French braid down her back and her outfit looked clean and crisp, accentuating her figure and blue eyes. Kiikame's makeup was natural, but complimented her features nicely.

Heaving a contented sigh, Kiikame walked out of the bathroom, only to find Miri on the floor, violently struggling with her ninja sandals.

"GAAHHHHHH! I CAN'T GET THESE STUPID THINGS ON FOR THE LIFE OF ME!"

Miri shouted in irritation.

Kiikame giggled in amusement, staring down at her best friend, "What the hell are you doing?"

"SHUT UP, KIIKAME! I DON'T NEED YOUR SASS RIGHT NOW!" Miri shrieked, clearly frustrated by the stubborn ninja sandals. She was attempting to force the sandals on her feet, tugging at the cloth wildly and forcing her foot in at the wrong angle.

Man, it really was early. A little TOO early for Miri, evidently.

"Here let me help you, it's not genjustu, Miri!" Kiikame teased, flashing Miri a good-natured smile.

Heaving a defeated sigh, Miri positioned herself in front of Kiikame, pouting. Kiikame couldn't help but chuckle at Miri's disheveled appearance.

"My god, it looks like you got in a fight with a couple of shinobi! Or a bear…" Kiikame joked, "I wonder what you'd look like if you get into a REAL fight. Now THAT is a scary thought!"

"Hah-hah-hah, very funny," Miri responded with dark sarcasm, "Now you going to help me or not?"

"Of course, of course," Kiikame reassured, kneeling down and fixing Miri's sandals.

A few minutes later, Kiikame stepped back and admired her quick handiwork.

In the process of straightening out Miri's sandals and repairing a small rip in the fabric, Kiikame had also smoothed Miri's crazy hair out and pulled it into a neat ponytail.

"Ahh there we go, now you don't look like a total hobo… well, almost," Kiikame smirked, winking at Miri.

"You're just on fire today, aren't you, smart-ass!" retorted Miri, laughing and staring down at her pajamas, "You are right though, I admit I do look kinda ratchet."

"Alright, go finish getting ready, I'll start preparing breakfast," Kiikame chuckled, making her way to their small kitchen.

"Okay, I'll be back in about ten minutes!" Miri exclaimed, skipping to her bedroom.

**_15 Minutes Later_**

"You got everything, Miri?" Kiikame shouted, leaning on the door of their apartment, waiting for her friend.

"Yup! Let's go!" Miri said sauntering out of her room, her small shoulder bag swinging back and forth.

"Wow, you look nice," Kiikame complimented Miri as the two walked out of their apartment, locking the door behind them.

"I try," Miri said smirking, "I could say the same about you, Ice Princess."

Kiikame rolled her eyes, making her way down the stairs of the apartment complex with Miri close behind.

Miri had always teased Kiikame about her Kekkei Genkai, mostly because Miri did not possess this trademark ability of the Yuki Clan. Although Miri grew up in the clan, she inherited her mothers' incredible healing skills instead of her fathers' Kekkei Genkai, otherwise known as "Ice Release".

Once the two were on the streets of Konoha, the two studied the map they had received the previous week, attempting to locate the Academy. They had met with the Hokage and various sensei's the week before, answering questions and taking a slew of examinations to determine their placement at the Academy.

Not surprisingly, Miri did amazing on the medical exams, earning her a one-way ticket to the most advanced medical-nin classes for her age group.

Kiikame, on the other hand, had flourished in ninjitsu, taijitsu, and genjutsu. The Hokage decided to put her on a team with newly graduated students who would be taking the Chūnin exams the following week.

The new teams had already been through Phase 1 of the Chūnin exams, but after undergoing a similar examination, both the Hokage and the sensei's agreed that Kiikame was eligible to move on to Phase 2 with one of the teams.

Kiikame was assigned to a team and told to meet them Monday morning 7:00am sharp near the entrance of the Academy. Because of Miri's little alarm clock mishap, Kiikame had arrived 30 minutes early.

While Kiikame waited, she climbed up a nearby tree, resting her back on the truck and closing her eyes. She inhaled deeply, enjoying the fresh air of the early morning. A bird flew by, singing a beautiful melody. Kiikame was deep in thought, listening to the sounds of nature.

Kiikame's meditation was suddenly interrupted when she sensed another presence approaching the Academy. Her eyes flashed open, peering through the leaves, looking for the intruder.

Kiikame's breath hitched in her throat.

It was him, the Uchiha she had come across in the forest the day before.

Butterflies began to dance in Kiikame's stomach as she watched the Uchiha come closer and closer to the Academy.

He had a few books in one hand and the other in his pocket. He appeared to be thinking deeply about something and didn't seem to notice Kiikame's presence.

Kiikame's nerves and abrupt increase in heart rate caused her Kekkei Genkai to activate, causing her to inadvertently freeze half of the tree trunk and the entire branch she was on.

'Perfect, just perfect!' Kiikame raged inside her mind, 'Now he'll definitely notice if he looks this way. I even don't think I can get down without slipping…GAHHHH!'

Kiikame felt herself slip from the icy branch. She let out a small yelp of surprise and tried to grab onto the branch before tumbling to the ground, landing on her side.

The Uchiha's head immediately turned towards Kiikame, and before Kiikame could react, he was directly in front of her.

"Hey, are you okay?" The Uchiha inquired smoothly, offering his hand.

Kiikame turned a few shades darker, avoiding eye contact as she accepted his hand.

"Y-Yes, I am alright. Thank you." Kiikame said as he pulled her back onto her feet with ease, observing Kiikame with curiosity and slight recognition.

"You look familiar. I believe I saw you in the forest yesterday evening." The Uchiha stated, trying to catch Kiikame's eyes. "My name is Itachi Uchiha. Pleased to meet you." Itachi continued, a small but warm smile gracing his features.

Kiikame slowly met his gaze, her icy blue orbs meeting his deep ebony ones.

"My name is Kiikame, Kiikame Yukimori. It is nice to me you as well, Uchiha Itachi." Kiikame bowed politely, returning the smile in a shy manner.

"You must be our new team member. Welcome, Kiikame." Itachi said in a friendly tone, "And please, call me Itachi."

"It is an honor. I look forward to training with you and your team, Itachi." Kiikame said, her smile widening.

A brief awkward silence ensued, but it was cut short by an enthusiastic male voice.

"Ah, you must be our newest addition to the team!" said a man with short brown hair, clad in an Jōnin uniform, "Welcome! What is your name?"

"My name is Kiikame Yukimori." Kiikame said, looking over at the rest of her team.

"Nice to meet you, Kiikame! My name is Yamato. I will be your temporary team leader!" Yamato said in a friendly, yet reserved tone, shaking Kiikame's hand.

"And I am Shisui Uchiha!" A wavy haired brunette male around Kiikame's age piped up, coming from behind Yamato, "Good to meet you, Kiikame!"

Shisui quickly walked over to Kiikame and shook her hand.

'He's an Uchiha as well.' Kiikame observed, smiling at Shisui, 'He seems very amicable.'

"Well, now that we've all been acquainted, let's start our training. We only have 4 more days until the Chūnin Exams begin, so I expect all three of you to work as hard as you can." Said Yamato, making eye contact with all three of his students, a serious expression on his face.

"Hai!" the three said in unison, their stances and expressions emanating unwavering confidence.

**Hello there everyone! Now that I have posted the third chapter, I am pleased to inform you all that I will update this story every Friday/Saturday. Depending on how much time I have, I may post two chapters a week, but for now, just expect an update on the day(s) aforementioned. Also, I would like to reiterate that reviews/follows/favs are very much appreciated and encouraged. Happy reading! :)**

**-VampireKnightgrlKiwi**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The four days before the Chūnin Exams felt incredibly long and aggravating. At the end of everyday, Kiikame came home with new bruises, cuts, and wounded pride.

Kiikame had always thought of herself as a strong ninja, but she felt like nothing compared to the two Uchiha prodigies.

They were strong, quick, intelligent, and very powerful, utilizing everything they could to defeat their opponent in the most efficient way possible.

Compared to them, Kiikame felt like a complete and utter failure. She was honestly surprised that Yamato hadn't reassigned her to another team.

It sucked. A lot.

What sucked even more was the fact that she couldn't seem to get her Kekkei Genkai to cooperate, much less activate. No one on her team had seen it, and she was starting to wonder if she had lost the ability all together.

It would be EXTREMELY helpful if she could use it, it would at least put her on even grounds with Itachi and Shisui. They had their Kekkei Genkai, the Sharigan, and all she had at the moment were her regular ninja skills.

Though her ninja skills in taijitsu, ninjitsu, and genjustu were above par, the two Uchiha's always held the advantage with their Sharingan. She was able to hold them off fairly well, but they always bested her.

She needed her Kekkei Genkai to give her an edge.

Itachi and Shisui had invited her to come along and train with them, but upon arriving at the training grounds, Kiikame had excused herself to practice her skills alone for awhile.

Kiikame huffed in irritation as she sat down next to a big tree. She noticed a small pool of water at its base, and immediately attempted to freeze the ice.

Nothing.

Kiikame growled and tried harder.

Still nothing.

Kiikame threw her head back and yelled with exasperation. What the hell was wrong with her? Why couldn't she use her Kekkei Genkai anymore?

It seemed like everyday she grew weaker. She could barely use her own chakra at this point.

Beyond angry and completely beat emotionally, Kiikame stared up into the leaves of the tree above her, taking deep breaths and doing her best to calm herself.

'It's going to be ok, Kiikame. Maybe you're just trying too hard, I'm sure Yamato will be able to help you tomorrow.' Kiikame rationalized in her mind, trying to block out all of her negative thoughts.

"Frusstrated, my dear?" A creepy voice sneered.

Kiikame opened her eyes and whipped her head around in the direction of the voice.

"Who are you?" Kiikame questioned, staring into the shadows.

"That's none of your concern. I've been observing you ever since you arrived here in Konoha. You interest me. Tell me, Kiikame, why can't you usse your Kekkei Genkai anymore?" The voice rasped again, dripping venom.

He seemed to know something she didn't, and Kiikame didn't like that. He wasn't a trustworthy being.

"I don't know why that concerns you or why you care." Kiikame stated simply, keeping her voice as emotionless as possible.

"I'd be careful with how you speak to me, little one." The voice said in a threatening manner, "You, Kiikame, are the last of the infamous Yuki Clan. You possess Ice Release, a rare Kekkei Genkai that I have the utmost interest in at the moment."

"What do you want from me?" Said Kiikame plainly, wanting to confirm whether or not this person meant her harm.

"All I ask is for you to come with me to my lab so I may perform some tests on you." The voice declared in nonchalant tone.

'I'm in danger, I need to get out of here FAST,' Kiikame thought, searching for any sign of Itachi and Shisui.

"What makes you think that I'll do that?" Kiikame challenged, attempting to buy some time.

"You need your Kekkei Genkai to progress any further. You have quite the talent in all the other disciplines, but your Kekkei Genkai will set you apart from all the others once you master it. You know this." Said the voice in a all-knowing manner.

"Who are you?" Kiikame questioned abruptly, suspicion and fear rising in her chest.

All of a sudden, a figure emerged from the shadows. It was a man, at least Kiikame thought it was a man. He had long black hair, sickly pale skin, and snake like features.

To put it simply, he looked dangerous and extremely creepy.

"My name is Orochimaru. It is an honor to meet you, Kiikame Yukimori." Orochimaru stated in a sickly sweet manner, running his long, snake-like tongue over his protruding fangs.

Kiikame was in mid-sprint, but her escape was suddenly halted. She couldn't move her body anymore.

'Damn, he must've put me under genjustu.' Kiikame thought.

Reacting quickly, Kiikame focused all of her chakra and released it around her in a wave of powerful energy. She felt the genjustu break and she was free.

Kiikame immediately went into full defense mode, throwing three explosive kunai's at Orochimaru with deadly accuracy. She then created a shadow clone, sending it the other direction to act as a decoy while she flew through the trees at top speed.

'I don't have much chakra left, hopefully that was enough for me to escape.' Kiikame thought hopefully.

Out of nowhere, Kiikame felt something warm and scaley wrap around her ankle and jerk her back violently, causing her to hit her stomach hard on a thick branch. The wind was completely knocked out of her.

'This isn't going to end well…' Kiikame thought, somewhat defeated.

Struggling to breath, Kiikame felt the tail wrap around her entire body, squeezing the life from her.

As she strained to reach for one of her kunai, she felt a sharp sting on the side of her neck. Poison.

The toxin traveled fast and soon she was completely paralyzed, only this time she couldn't break it like she did with the genjustu.

"Not bad for a simple gēnin I must say." Orochimaru breathed down Kiikame's neck, tasting blood from the puncture wound in her neck. "With your Kekkei Genkai, you would make a formidable opponent, even against your fellow Uchiha training mates. You have scary potential. However, you're no match for me."

"…w-why….s-s-to.." Kiikame trailed, unable to speak properly, slowly fading into darkness with the lack of oxygen.

"Don't you worry my dear, this won't take very long," and with that, Orochimaru teleported to his lair, not leaving behind a trace.

**ITACHI POV**

Itachi carefully wiped a thin layer of sweat off of his brow as he stared at Shisui. They were both panting heavily and had attained a fair amount of scratches and bruises.

"Let's call it a tie," said Shisui with a cheeky smirk and wink.

"Ah- very well, Shisui. We'll leave at a tie for now," Itachi said, returning the smirk, though his was more good-natured.

"Oi, Kiikame! Our match is over, you can come out of your hiding spot now! Come joing us!" Shouted Shisui, scanning the perimeter with his Sharingan.

"Ne, Itachi, I don't think Kiikame is here." Shisui stated plainly a few moments later, a quizzical expression gracing his features.

"That can't be, I sensed her presence just a few moments ago," Itachi said, bewildered.

"Well, were there any spikes in chakra level? Did she just suddenly disappear? I didn't sense anything that was off-kilter," Shisui said, looking at Itachi.

"I'm not sure, I was so wrapped up in fighting that I didn't notice anything abnormal. The last time I was aware, she was over there in that patch of trees" Itachi replied, thinking.

"Hnn…Welp, guess we better go and check it out. Come on!" Shisui gestured to Itachi as they began to sprint towards the forest.

**End of POV**

Kiikame woke up with a metal headpiece strapping her head down to a medical examination table. She tried to move her arms and legs, but as she expected, they had been restrained in the same manner.

"Well, well, well, look who has woken up." Said an unfamiliar male voice.

Completely debilitated, Kiikame was unable to raise her head to see whom the voice belonged to.

"Yes, she has quite the ability to recover quickly. She is a stubborn one." Hissed Orochimaru.

"What are you planning on doing to me?" Kiikame said, anger rising in her throat.

"Oh, you'll see." Snickered the man, coming into view at the edge of the examination table. He had white hair tied in a ponytail, round glasses, and was clad in purple.

"Kabuto, bring me the lancets and injection needles." Ordered Orochimaru, approaching Kiikame with a wicked smirk on his face.

Kiikame's eyes widened, but she quickly stuffed down her fear and began searching for a way out.

She was going to be brutally murdered or tortured if she didn't escape from this mess soon.

"Resistance is futile. I have implemented chakra seals on your arms, you cannot fight." Orochimaru gloated, looking down at Kiikame with hungry eyes.

"You did this to me a few days ago." Kiikame stated, her glare unwavering. Suddenly it all made sense. She wasn't untalented, her chakra had been slowly sealing away, along with her power.

What an ass this man was! He would pay for this somehow.

"Very good, Kiikame! Yes, I have suppressed your precious Kekkei Genkai so that it would be easier capturing you." Said Orochimaru, smirking, "I also took the liberty of concealing our chakra when I captured you. Those pesky Uchiha will be unable to rescue you, much less find you, until it's way too late."

Kiikame glared at Orochimaru with everything she had, but she didn't say anything. Her mind was occupied with strategies and any possible attacks she could do without any chakra, she wouldn't waste her breath.

Damn, this would be hard.

She watched as Orochimaru crossed the length of the lab and disappeared into another room. Kabuto, meanwhile, observed various medical tools, cleaning and sharpening them, his back turned to Kiikame.

'Well looks like the only available option for me is basic taijitsu', Kiikame thought, sighing inwardly.

'I don't know if I can take them both with just taijitsu, and escaping without at least incapacitating one will be nigh impossible! What can I do to break out of these damn restraints?...Oh, I got it!' Kiikame exclaimed in her mind, eyes flashing.

Kiikame quickly put her plan into action, lying as still as humanly possible on the operating table, barely inhaling and exhaling.

The heart monitor machine she was hooked up to began to slow, until the heart rate went completely static, causing the machine to blare in a single monotone.

"BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP"

Kiikame heard faint curses and footsteps approach her at a frenzied pace.

"She must've gone into cardiac arrest. Kabuto! Begin cardiopulmonary resuscitation while I get some amiodarone!" Orochimaru yelled, running back into the lab.

"Yes, Orochimaru-sama." Kabuto said, racing to Kiikame's side and undoing one of her arm restraints.

Big mistake.

In a flash, Kiikame punched Kabuto square in the jaw, dislocating it. In his confusion, Kiikame grabbed Kabuto and whipped him around, grabbing the key to her restraints out of his left pocket.

Moving quickly and efficiently, Kiikame unlocked her three remaining cuffs and proceeded to kick Kabuto just above his neck, launching him into the air.

Propelling herself into the air as well, Kiikame executed a lighting-fast array of nerve-blocking hits on Kabuto, temporarily paralyzing a finishing punch to the gut, Kiikame sent Kabuto flying directly into a wall, knocking him unconscious.

"Seemsss I may have underestimated this one," Orochimaru said darkly, emerging from the other side of the enormous lab, a syringe filled with an ominous looking liquid in one hand and a gruesome looking surgical tool in the other.

Kiikame froze for a split second, debating upon whether or not she could fight or take her chances and attempt to escape.

It didn't take a moment more of thought for her to turn around and go tearing down the hall closest to her.

"You can run, but you can't escape from a ninja of my caliber! I'm one of the legendary Sannin! You're just a pathetic orphan who has no special abilities…anymore." Orochimaru shouted after her with a sneer.

Kiikame began to pant, she felt incredibly tired, despite all of the adrenaline that was pumping through her body. To be completely honest, it was all that was keeping her going at this point, and it was beginning to take its toll on her.

The ground she was running across suddenly disappeared underneath her feet, and before she had time to react, Kiikame went flying down into pitch-black darkness.

Surprise ran through Kiikame when she made impact with freezing cold water instead of solid ground. The icy waters chilled her to the bone, she could barely move her body, and she began to gasp for air. Her lungs, her arms, her legs, EVERYTHING was refusing to work properly.

Kiikame slowly began to sink, unable to gain control over her own body. The frigid water filled her lungs, burning her insides with an intolerable malevolence.

'I'm going to die,' was all Kiikame could process in her mind before everything went blank.

**Hello everyone! I apologize for such a late update. I'll do my best to update this story regularly, but I can't make any promises. The more I get feedback, the more I'll be motivated to update in a timely fashion, so keep that in mind! Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed the 4th chapter of my story, ****_Of Ice & Fire. _**

**Happy Holidays! 3**

**-VampireKnightgrlKiwi**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**Warning:**** This chapter contains heavy violence, gore, and graphic material Viewer discretion advised.**

**YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!**

A delicate frost clung to Kiikame as she awoke. The crystal surface beneath her was shiny and smooth like glass.

"Ice," Kiikame murmured to herself as she traced patterns into the light layer of snow resting on top of the ice, revealing translucent frozen depths of what was a deep lake.

Kiikame slowly rose to her feet and observed her surroundings, taking in all the effortless beauty of the scene before her.

A large forest full of tall pine trees capped with fluffy white snow greeted her, and the faint smell of evergreen ignited her senses.

The silky snow drifted around Kiikame in graceful circles, whirling about with ease and delicacy with the gentle winds. Kiikame drew in a deep, grateful breath, feeling refreshed and invigorated.

As Kiikame began to explore her surroundings, she noticed a faint glow in the distance. She immediately felt drawn to it.

Curious, Kiikame wandered toward the lighting-blue luminescence, feeling some sort of subconscious pull the closer she approached.

The snowy winds suddenly became biting and icy, progressively becoming more violent. The snow wrapped around Kiikame's figure, whipping around her at a frenzied pace and urging her forward.

Fearful and unsure of what was about to ensue, Kiikame fought back against the raging winter elements, attempting to force her way out of the small storm that had formed around her.

Despite her bitter protest, the frigid winds did anything but subside. The natural forces doubled, and Kiikame was forced to the edge of a deep cavern where the glow was emanating from.

Just as Kiikame was about to fall over the edge, the wind and snow abruptly stopped, leaving Kiikame completely bewildered and out of breath.

Kiikame closed her eyes, inhaling and exhaling deeply, steadying her heart rate.

Still a bit frightened, Kiikame peered down into the cavern, curiosity getting the best of her.

The deep-blue light was intense, reflecting all the hues of blue and growing brighter by the second.

Without warning, Kiikame felt her body react on its own, leaning closer and closer to the light.

Losing any balance she previously had, Kiikame began to rapidly plummet towards the light, making impact a split-second later.

An enormous blast of power came crashing all around her, engulfing her in an electrifying current of brilliant blue energy.

Kiikame immediately felt unbelievable power searing through every fiber in her being. All of the hair on her body stood on end and her vision began to blur.

Just as quickly as Kiikame made contact with the blue energy, the energy seemed to dissipate out of thin air, leaving Kiikame suspended in the cavern.

The enormous ice cave around her glimmered. Kiikame felt as if every inch of her body was ablaze.

Slowly lifting her head, Kiikame made one swift motion with her arm, swiping it in front of her body.

Immediately, some of the ice below shot up underneath her, carrying Kiikame a few hundred feet up out of the icy depths of the lake.

Landing softly on her feet, Kiikame couldn't help but break out into a full smile.

She had regained her powers, only this time she had complete control over them…Or so she thought…

**Orochimari POV**

Orochimaru raced after Kiikame, slowly closing the gap in distance between them.

He would make her pay dearly for this. She would wish she never tried to escape, and he knew exactly what torture methods he would use.

Orochimaru smiled sadistically at the thought of inflicting unimaginable pain and horror upon this young genin. He had always had a wicked sense of humor and took great pleasure in others pain and misery.

As Orochimaru turned a sharp corner, he stopped abruptly.

Kiikame was gone. He couldn't sense her chakra, much less hear, smell, or see any sign of her.

Where could she have gone? He wasn't far behind her just a few moments ago.

Damn this wily little genin, she was turning out to be a lot stronger than he had originally expected.

'She's been training with those infuriatingly intelligent and powerful Uchiha, however, I should've taken more precautions. There's a reason she was chosen for that team. She certainly is on even-ground with them.' Orochimaru silently berated himself.

He usually never underestimated people.

Slightly irritated, Orochimaru quickly centered himself and closed his eyes, thinking of all the possible ways Kiikame could've alluded his grasp.

He knew there were various traps scattered throughout his lair, but it would take way too long to check all of them.

She couldn't have possibly escaped from the lair completely, it was a vicious maze full of deadly traps. Not to mention it only had one way in and one way out, and this was definitely the wrong way to escape.

She must've fallen victim to one of his traps. Now all he had to do was figure out which one.

Orochimaru smirked, he had a pretty good idea of which one it was.

**End of POV**

**Final Warning:** **Do NOT continue reading if you do not do well with heavy violence and gore!**

Kiikame suddenly opened her eyes, gasping for air and coughing up water. Her lungs and throat burned with a dry fire.

"I see you've finally woken up." A deadly voice rasped.

"Orochimaru." Kiikame said weakly, attempting to get up.

"I don't think so, my precious snowflake." Said Orochimaru in a mocking, dominant tone.

As soon as those words left his mouth, Kiikame was forced onto the ground face down on the cool stone surface of a cave. Her arms and legs had been restrained with a barbed wire.

It dug into her skin mercilessly, and she could feel wet blood trickling down her body from the small puncture wounds.

At this point, Kiikame was so exhausted that she couldn't even think logically anymore, and as hard as she tried, she couldn't summon her Kekkei Genkai, much less any chakra.

'Was it all just a dream? Did I not regain my powers?' Kiikame wondered, giving in to another violent coughing fit.

"There, there," Orochimaru cooed savagely, "Here, I have something that will help your coughing."

Before Kiikame knew it, Orochimaru forcefully shoved a tube down her throat, pouring a disgustingly sweet tasting liquid down it.

Kiikame coughed and sputtered as Orochimaru removed the tube, and soon afterward became violently sick.

Her stomach, throat, and mouth were on fire as she continued to vomit blood, stomach acid, and bile.

Tears began to stream down her face soon after, as she began to choke on her own vomit.

"Now, Orochimaru, we can't have our prisoner die yet. The fun has just begun!" Said Kabuto wickedly, emerging from the cave's small entrance.

"Good. I'm glad you are fully healed, Kabuto. Please be my guest." Orochimaru replied, standing up and walking over to a large cabinet full various gruesome torturing devices, surgical tools, and unidentified liquids.

"You don't look so well, Kiikame," Kabuto said, slamming her trembling body against the uneven rock wall, "Let me help you".

Kabuto jerked Kiikame around so her back was to him, and slipping a textured metal cuff around his fists, began to viciously push into Kiikame's stomach and intestines.

Kiikame screamed as she felt multiple ribs crack and break. More blood and vomit followed as Kabuto forced the remaining contents of her stomach out.

Once Kabuto was satisfied with Kiikame's dry heaving, he let go of her limp body and let her crash back onto the hard surface.

"Chain her up, it's time for her to watch our little show." Orochimaru said maliciously, turning around to view a selection of prisoners he had brought in.

Eyeing them with an inhuman gleam, Orochimaru beckoned a young man of about 25 forward.

Summoning a large snake, Orochimaru sent the snake over to the man, who wrapped the end of its tail around him, proceeding to drag the prisoner right in front of Kiikame.

Staring at the serpent and victim with horror, Kiikame helplessly watched as the serpent began to suffocate the man.

Just before the man could black out, the serpent relinquished its tight hold and opened its mouth incredibly wide, showing its long, razor sharp fangs and serrated teeth.

The snakes' head shot forward, aiming for the man's belly. Almost immediately after the snake moved, the man's innards went flying across the room, blood splashing Kiikame and the wall behind her.

"STOP, STOP, PLEASE STO-" Kiikame began to scream, but she was promptly gagged by Kabuto with a large piece of soiled fabric.

The fabric tasted of blood. Fresh blood, and Kiikame began to feel sick again.

Before she could even process what had just happened, another gruesome site greeted her eyes.

Two men covered all in black hung another victim upside down from two wooden posts, securing his feet and hands with ropes to keep him from moving around.

The two men then grabbed an enormous double-sided saw and proceeded to cut into the prisoner, slowly sawing him in half from bottom to top so as to prolong his agony.

Tears streamed down Kiikame's face as she watched the second helpless prisoner get brutally murdered. She cursed herself for not being strong enough to stop it, and screamed at the top of her lungs through her gag until her throat was raw.

Pools of blood and all manner of limbs, body parts, and intestines littered the ground.

Kiikame felt extremely dizzy, and she blacked in and out of consciousness as she witnessed people undergo vivisections, get ripped apart by chainsaws and vicious tools, forced to ingest poisons only to moments later bleed to death, slough their innards out of their rectum, and all manner of evil.

Kiikame thought it would never end, and she wished throughout the entire thing that she would die.

She had seen plenty of brutality during her time with the Yuki Clan and as a ninja, but she had never seen anything this horrific and extreme.

How someone could commit such atrocities, especially against innocent people for no reason other than entertainment? She didn't know.

All Kiikame knew at that moment was if she ever survived this and escaped, she would bring these two psychopathic murderers to justice.

'These acts of evil will not go unpunished, and they will pay for what they have done.' Kiikame thought bitterly, sobbing uncontrollably.

The next couple of hours were a hazy blur.

Kiikame remembered being dragged down a dark hallway, shoved into a tiny cell with no windows, and chained up, but she couldn't remember anything else.

Despite her clueless state, she couldn't shake the feeling that something unspeakably horrible had just happened and it bothered her immensely.

As stubborn as Kiikame was, and as hard as she tried to remember, her memory was foggy and sluggish. She had been heavily drugged.

About six hours later, a loud banging sound suddenly reverberated throughout the hall and into Kiikame's cell.

Adrenaline began to pump through Kiikame's veins and every inch of her body was on wide alert. The effects of the drugs had begun to wear off by then, and Kiikame was slowly regaining her memories.

She remembered her attempted escape from Kabuto and falling down the trap door, but her memories had come to a halt after that.

It didn't matter though. Right now, Kiikame was focused on the mysterious bang and whom it came from.

A metallic scratching soon rang in her ears. Someone or something was trying to open her door.

Kiikame braced herself for what she was about to see next, expecting to see Orochimaru or Kabuto.

The door burst open, and Kiikame slowly looked up, heart racing.

Three dark figures approached Kiikame from the shadows.

It was Anbu.

**Greeting's everyone! **

**Before I get any complaints, I want to use this as an opportunity to say that this story ****WILL**** continue to have graphic material. Rest assured that I will always give a ****warning ****beforehand. **

**Although not every chapter will have violence, this is a story about ninjas, and the life of a ninja is full of death and torture. I do not intend to sugarcoat this story just because this is a romantic fanfiction. Keep in mind that this story is action/adventure AND romance, not just romance. **

**Anyway, I hope you all are having a wonderful holiday break! Feel free to PM me with any questions, concerns, or ideas. Expect a reply within 48 hours. Remember to review/follow/favorite if you like this story! **

**Until next time,**

**-VampireKnightgrlKiwi**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Kiikame simply stared at the three Anbu opened mouthed. She couldn't believe her eyes.

If not for her incredibly low energy, Kiikame would've started crying out of sheer happiness and gratitude.

One of the Anbu approached her and knelt down next to Kiikame.

"It's going to be okay Kiikame, we're going to get you out of here," said the Anbu in a clearly a female voice.

Kiikame turned her head to the right to get a better look at her rescuer. She had purple hair from what Kiikame could tell, and her mask resembled a cat with three red stripes.

'She must be Yūgao,' Kiikame guessed.

Yūgao began to gently undo Kiikame's restraints, while one of the male ANBU raced in next to Kiikame's left-side, surveying her wounds.

Kiikame immediately recognized him.

"Yamato-sensei.." Kiikame breathed, keeping her voice as low as possible.

"Kiikame, I need you to stay still. Don't talk anymore, you're safe now." Yamato whispered reassuringly, bandaging up some of Kiikame's more serious wounds.

The third Anbu stood guard and relayed information to Yamato and Yūgao.

"We need to get out of here, STAT!" said the third Anbu, promptly switching places with Yamato and putting Kiikame on his back as the three flew out of the cell.

The third Anbu had spiky white hair, it was none other than Hatake Kakashi.

"Alright, Yūgao, take the front left, Yamato, take the back right, I've got Kiikame." Said Kakashi, as they all made the formation, continuing their lightning-fast escape.

The next thing Kiikame was aware of was a soft beep and the whoosh of an oxygen mask.

Feeling incredibly out of it, Kiikame struggled to gain control of herself and open her eyes.

With a large amount of effort, Kiikame slowly cracked her eyes half-open, but promptly closed them again due to the intense bright light burning her retinas.

Kiikame groaned and shielded her eyes weakly.

"Kiikame!" A voice exclaimed, "Kiikame, wake up!"

Gingerly re-opening her eyes, Kiikame adjusted to the light and looked over to pinpoint the source of the voice.

"M-m-Mi-r-i…" Kiikame trailed, her voice cracking terribly as she looked over at her friend.

Miri ran over to Kiikame's bedside and threw her arms around Kiikame's neck, "Thank GOD you're okay! I was so worried! Do you need anything? Pain reliever? Water? More pillows?-"

"Can you please take this oxygen mask off?" Kiikame croaked, as Miri gently removed the mask and set it on the bedside table.

"Woah, woah, slow down there Miri! Kiikame just woke up after three whole days, let's give her some time to readjust!" Shisui stated as he peered around the open door, "Mind if we come in?"

"No, not at all! Uh-I-….I'll go get you some water, Kiikame. Be right back!" Miri said, exiting the room quickly.

Kiikame's heart immediately began to beat faster as Shisui and Itachi entered the room.

'Itachi…Shishui…'

"Hey there Kiikame! You're looking a lot better! Glad to see you're finally awake!" Shisui said enthusiastically, smiling at Kiikame.

"I'm glad you've been recovering at the rate you have. We were all extremely concerned about you." Itachi added, a kind smile on his face, "We brought you some flowers, I hope you like them."

Itachi walked over to Kiikame's bed, holding a gorgeous bouquet of blue and white Hydrangeas.

"They're lovely, I appreciate it. Thank you so much Itachi, Shisui."

"Oh please, it was Itachi's idea," Shisui said with a smirk, "Nevertheless, you're quite welcome! Here let me get that, Itachi."

Shisui quickly grabbed one of the vases with old flowers from Kiikame's nightstand, got rid of the flowers, refilled it with water, and proceeded to help Itachi arrange the new flowers in the vase.

"So, what happened exactly? Shisui and I couldn't find you. You seemed to disappear into thin air." Itachi started, looking at Kiikame with worry and confusion in his eyes.

Kiikame was silent for a moment, then replied, "I don't know. I can't seem to remember anything…. Everything is slowly coming back, but my memory is painstakingly sluggish."

"You were injured quite seriously, I'm not surprise you don't remember!" Said Shisui as he cut off part of a flower stem with his kunai, "You lost massive amounts of blood and suffered from severe dehydration."

"Yeah, I suppose I am lucky to still be alive."

"Well, we are glad we have our teammate back," Itachi said warmly.

"Yeah! It's been really fun training with you, we can't wait to have you back!" added Shisui.

'….Wait, what about the Chūnin Exams?!'

Kiikame began to panic. She had been out for what? Three days, right? That meant they were already over!

"So how did the Chūnin Exams go, Itachi?" Kiikame asked as pleasantly as she could muster, though she couldn't completely conceal her disappointment.

Itachi was so ahead of everyone that he was allowed to take the Chūnin Exams a year earlier than everyone else. Because the Hokage and other Jōnin saw great potential in Kiikame as well, she had been scheduled to take them along with him.

At this point she'd have to wait a whole other year or so! Kiikame glowered on the inside. She was behind now, REALLY behind.

Shisui, on the other hand, had already taken the Chūnin Exams a few years before Itachi. The only reason Shisui trained with the two was so he could get more practice refining his own skills and so he could help Yamato teach Itachi and Kiikame.

Suddenly Kiikame's thoughts were interrupted by Itachi's response.

"They were fine. The first phase consisted of a written test and the second phase consisted of a physical abilities test. I can help you prepare for the next one if you'd like." Itachi offered.

"Oh! I-uh… I don't know.. I have to recover completely first…" Kiikame began, scratching the back of her head.

"Of course, take all the time you need," Itachi said with understanding.

"Yeah, we'll always be around when you come back, Kii."

Kiikame bowed her head and smiled at Itachi and Shisui, "Thank you, both of you. I'm very fortunate to have teammates like you two."

"It's no problem, recover fast so you can come back soon!" Shisui said, getting up to leave.

As Shisui walked out, Itachi got up to follow, but before he left he suddenly stopped.

"Kiikame…"

Before Kiikame could respond, Itachi suddenly appeared next to the left side of her bed.

Itachi lowered his face so that it was aligned with Kiikame's, and he slowly began to lean in, as if he were going to kiss her.

When Itachi's lips were just 5 inches from Kiikame's, he stopped and leaned over to the left side of her face.

"I'm glad you're safe," Itachi whispered gently in her ear, cupping her face with tenderness.

And with that, Itachi left as swiftly as he had come.

Kiikame laid there completely frozen, a hot blush forming on her cheeks.

What just happened?!

**Hey guys!**

**I wanted to give you all a bonus chapter before I began writing/editing another long chapter. I feel bad about not updating the story for a few months, so here is another chapter! I hope you like it :) **

**-VampireKnightgrlKiwi**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Kiikame slowly rose from her quiet morning meditation.

She really enjoyed being out here alone in the forest, it calmed her in ways she couldn't achieve any other way.

The sun was just beginning to rise above the rolling hills. The many trees filtered the golden rays through their leaves and branches, splashing patterns of warmth on Kiikame.

Inhaling deeply, Kiikame began to walk back into Konoha feeling relaxed.

Before she set foot on the streets, Kiikame spotted a certain Uchiha walking through the town with his younger brother, Sasuke.

'Crap! I hope he didn't see me!' Kiikame thought, hiding quickly behind some nearby bushes.

Ever since the almost kiss incident at the hospital with Itachi a few days before, Kiikame was incredibly conflicted and confused about her feelings for Itachi.

She needed time to figure this out, to be in complete control. She needed to evaluate the situation and decide what to do before something else happened.

"Kiikame."

Startled, Kiikame whirled around to be face-to-face with none other than Shisui.

"Shisui! God, you scared me! Don't sneak up on me like that!" Kiikame stuttered, clearly flustered and embarrassed.

Ignoring her comment, Shisui looked at Itachi and Sasuke.

"So…You and Itachi, huh?"

"No! It—it's not like that at all! I-I-"

"You what?" Shisui was grinning now, a mischeivious gleam in his eyes, "You were just watching Itachi from the bushes?"

He won this time around. Kiikame sighed.

"Alright, alright Shisui, you win. What do you want?"

"I want you to just admit it."

"Admit what?!"

"Admit you have feelings for Itachi."

Kiikame stopped, her face turning tomato red.

"Look, I don't care. I think you both are cute. You and Itachi would be a wonderful match," said Shisui, sincerity in his eyes, "I'll let you in on a little secret…Come closer—"

Kiikame leaned in, only to feel a blast of hot air in her ear moments later.

"Gotcha!"

"Shisui! Not funny!" Kiikame exclaimed, scrambling after Shisui, who had taken off running.

"You can't catch me, ice princess!" Shisui teased, leaping skillfully from building to building.

"Oh, you want a bet?! Get back here, you ass!" Kiikame laughed, chasing after him.

Shisui suddenly turned a sharp corner, and Kiikame tripped, skinning her knee.

Kiikame winced, she could already feel the blood seeping out of her newly acquired wound.

'Great, thanks Shisui!' Kiikame thought, irritated, 'He won't get away with this!'

Kiikame picked herself up, brushed the dirt off of her clothes, and proceeded to continue her heated pursuit of Shisui. But just as Kiikame turned the sharp corner, she collided with Itachi.

"Ooophh!"

Dazed, Kiikame lifted her head, only to find herself in Itachi's strong arms, his surprised ebony orbs staring up into her frazzled blue ones.

"Are you okay, Kiikame?" Itachi inquired, his deep voice like velvet.

"Uh-I—uhm…I-I'm sorry, Itachi!" Kiikame stumbled over her words, trying to speak properly, "I-I…I need to run…thank you!"

And with that, Kiikame got up quickly, avoiding Itachi's gaze. Blushing madly out of embarrassment, Kiikame ran in the opposite direction as quickly as she could.

"Hey wait! Kiikame!" Itachi shouted after her, but Kiikame ignored him, quickly losing sight of him as she disappeared into the nearby trees.

CLAP…CLAP…CLAP…CLAP

"Huh? What was—SHISUI! I am going to kill you!" Kiikame whipping around and pointing an accusing finger at Shisui.

He was smirking at Kiikame and slow clapping, leaning up against one of the trees.

"Well done, well done. I was hoping for a bit more, but it looks like someone got too embarrassed. Better luck next time!"

Shisui winked.

"What the hell are you trying to do?! This isn't funny, Shisui! And here I thought you were the mature one."

Shisui laughed.

"Oh Kiikame, you really don't know anything do you? Have a little fun for once! Lighten up, I'm doing this for your own good you know."

"How does this in any way help me?!" said Kiikame, exasperated.

"Well, you've been avoiding Itachi ever since we visited you in the hospital. He IS your teammate you know. You two get along so well, but you started avoiding him, so I simply took matters into my own hands."

"How does that have anything to do with—"

"I wanted to see how you would react when you ran into him without some sort of former planning," Shisui interrupted.

Damn, he knew her too well. Kiikame scowled.

"It is clear to me that you have feelings for him, Kiikame. You can't run away forever. Besides, I want all of us to continue being friends."

Kiikame looked down at her feet, embarrassed. She had been found out, but if Shisui told Itachi, it would ruin things.

'Itachi would never be able to look at me the same way,' Kiikame panicked.

"Shisui."

"What is it?"

"Please do not tell Itachi."

"Of course not! That is something you two will have to figure out on your own. Well, I have to go get ready for a mission, see you later Kii!" Shisui said as he took off into the morning sun.

'Wait, you "two" will have to figure out? Why did he say "two"? Does Itachi? Is it possible he—?'

Kiikame shook her head back and forth.

'NO! You cannot think of those things, Kiikame! Remember what you're here to do. You are here to become the best ninja you can, NO distractions!'

That evening, Kiikame came home late from training. Her muscles were very sore and she was extremely exhausted.

On the way back she had picked up some tofu, vegetables, and brown rice. She planned on making a green curry for dinner.

As Kiikame began to wash and chop the vegetables, she thought about some of her previous experiences with Itachi.

She blushed slightly just thinking about that one time in the forest a few weeks back…

* * *

><p>Flashback<p>

* * *

><p><em>Kiikame raced through the trees, skating across ice that she generated, curving and twisting through the forest with grace and agility.<em>

_Itachi wasn't far behind her, and he was gaining on her fast. _

_Stopping in a small clearing, Kiikame waited for Itachi to fall into her trap. _

_Soon after, Itachi burst through the clearing, and Kiikame sent a huge icy blast around both of them. _

_They were completely enclosed in a dome of ice. _

_Manipulating the ice with skill and speed, Kiikame shot long ice spikes in every direction, trapping Itachi._

_Before Itachi could react, one of Kiikame's ice clones shot up behind Itachi, holding a kunai to his neck._

_"Gotcha, Uchiha," Kiikame's clone breathed, proud of her victory. _

_"Not so fast, Yukimori," said Itachi, smirking. _

_Just as the words escaped his lips, Itachi disappeared only to be replaced with a log. _

_'Shadow clone! How did I not see it before?! I should've known, Itachi wouldn't fall for such an obvious—'_

_All of a sudden, Kiikame's thoughts were interrupted by an enormous blast of fire, melting her ice dome. _

_Quickly jumping away, Kiikame scanned the area for any sign of Itachi. _

_"You lose," A deep, lilting voice whispered in Kiikame's ear. _

_Kiikame felt the sharp, cool edge of a kunai pressed against her throat. _

_"Not yet," Kiikame replied, turning into an ice clone. _

_The real Kiikame suddenly darted out of the forest, jumping into the air and aiming a powerful kick at Itachi's head. _

_Itachi's body disappeared, only to reappear behind Kiikame. _

_Catching Itachi's punch just in time, Kiikame stumbled back, giving Itachi the advantage. _

_Itachi swiftly brought his foot underneath Kiikame's legs, causing Kiikame to lose all of her balance. As Kiikame began to fall, she grabbed onto Itachi's shirt, pulling him down with her. _

_"If I go down, you're coming down with me, Uchiha!" Kiikame declared, as she fell onto the ground, giggling. Itachi laughed softly as well, looking down at Kiikame with his ruby red sharingan. _

_As Kiikame looked up at Itachi, she suddenly realized that Itachi was lying on top of her. Kiikame ceased all laughing and stared up at Itachi, feeling the heat rise in her cheeks. _

_Itachi seemed to notice this as well and went completely silent, slight surprise glinting in his red eyes. _

_Both stared at each other, not moving an inch, when suddenly someone wolf whistled. _

_'Shisui,' Kiikame thought, snapping out of it. _

_Itachi quickly got up, grabbed Kiikame's hand and pulled her up with ease, as Shisui came out from the trees. _

_"Was I interrupting anything?" Shisui teased, looking at Kiikame and Itachi. _

_"No! It was just an accident, Shisui!" Kiikame quickly replied, blushing. _

_Itachi nodded as if agreeing with Kiikame, but he didn't say anything. Shisui could tell something was up between the two of them._

_"Alright, whatever you say, ice princess."_

_"Don't you call me ice princess, wheel eyes!" _

_"I can call you whatever I want to and there's nothing you can do about it, iceeeee princessssssss!"_

_"GET BACK HERE WHEEL EYES!" Kiikame shouted playfully, chasing after Shisui and shooting icicles at him. _

_Itachi followed them, laughing as well. _

_"Help me, Itachi! Let's put this ice princess in her place!" Shisui yelled over to Itachi, motioning for him to join. _

_"Don't you DARE, Itachi!" Kiikame joked, faking a look of anger._

_"Hn…I think I'll just sit and watch."_

_"Oh come on, Tach, don't be such a buzzkilll!"_

_Before anyone could do anything else, a huge ring of fire encircled Shisui and Kiikame, forcing the two together. Then out of nowhere a long wire snaked around the two of them, pinning them together back to back. _

_"What the hell?!—"_

_Itachi walked in front of Kiikame and Shisui and smirked. _

_"I win." _

_"ITACHI!" Kiikame and Shisui yelled in unison, smiling. _

_"You always have to watch out for the quiet ones. They're usually the biggest threat," Itachi mused, winking, "Remember that next time."_

* * *

><p>End of Flashback<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Hello everyone and Merry ChristmasHappy Hanukkah/Happy Kwanzaa/etc. :) **

**I was hoping to finish a longer chapter, but I wanted to give you all at least one more chapter before I became too busy with holiday celebrations for a few days. Anyway, enjoy your time away from work and school, eat good food, and cherish your time with loved ones. I also apologize if my editing was a little sloppier than usual, I wanted to get this posted as soon as I could.**

**Happy Holidays!**

**-VampireKnightgrlKiwi**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

It had been several months since anything groundbreaking and interesting had occurred.

Kiikame had continued an intense training regime, mastering her Kekkei Genkai, passing the Chūnin Exams, and flourishing in all the components of a ninja. She had even learned basic healing from Miri in their spare time.

Kiikame had been training alone for about two months ever since Itachi got accepted by Anbu and worked alongside Shisui. She had been offered multiple spots on various teams, but Kiikame felt like working alone or training with a Jōnin from time to time was more beneficial for her.

Overtime, Kiikame's bond with Shisui and Itachi weakened considerably. They had become a lot more secretive and aloof around her. It was like they were completely different people, save for the rare occasions when Kiikame would see glimpses of their past selves. Moments like these were few and far between, however, growing evermore inconsistent and scarce as time went by.

At first, Kiikame was pretty hurt by the sudden changes in her two of her closest companions, but she eventually learned to accept it and move on.

There was something weird and ominous going on between the Uchiha Clan and Konoha. Something was wrong, VERY wrong. Because Shisui and Itachi were such high-ranking ninja (and Uchiha, nonetheless!), they were certainly heavily involved in whatever was going on.

'Adversity, violence, and tragedy can certainly change a person. I hope that this will be resolved in a peaceful manner, whatever it is. I never want to experience a massacre or war ever again.'

Kiikame thought about the issue long and hard, pondering the possible fate of the Uchiha Clan and Konoha. She racked her mind for the reason that Shisui and Itachi had become so withdrawn and apathetic, it was so unlike them.

If anything, Kiikame knew for a fact that no one cared about others as much as Shisui and Itachi. They were by far the most compassionate people she had ever met, not to mention they were against violence, never utilizing it unless absolutely necessary.

'There must be some sort of imbalance in power and they're caught in between. I wish I could help in some way, but they are so closed off nowadays…'

Kiikame sighed, rubbing her temples. This was so exhausting, analyzing and hypothesizing why this had happened and why it seemed to only get worse.

She had tried on multiple occasions to talk with Shisui or Itachi, but every time she was politely shot down or even completely ignored. They only engaged in small talk, and if possible, Itachi and Shisui seemed to avoid Kiikame altogether.

The whole situation was frustrating, and Kiikame was determined to try at least one more time to figure out what the hell was going on. She couldn't lose Shisui or Itachi yet, especially Itachi.

Kiikame wasn't sure why, but she felt incredibly strong feelings for Itachi, and she was NOT about to lose him.

"Hey Kiikame, where are you going?"

Miri raised an eyebrow as she opened the door to their apartment, waiting for a response.

"I-uhm…I was just going to visit the Uchiha Clan's sector."

"And why in gods name are you doing that?"

"To talk to Itachi."

Miri's face suddenly changed from stern to soft, and her eyes filled with a sort of sadness that Kiikame couldn't quite pinpoint.

"Look Kiikame, Itachi is no longer going to be part of your life like he once was. Both he and Shisui have made that very clear for a long time now. I understand that you want to rekindle the friendship you had with them at one point, but things change. You cannot bring back the past."

"I appreciate the advice, Miri, but I am not attempting to resurrect the past. I simply want to know what is going on and what the hell caused all of this. There is something that has gone seriously wrong, and I have a very bad feeling. I need to try at least one last time, so please, let me go."

Miri looked taken aback for a second, then nodded her head and stepped aside. Before Kiikame could fully exit, Miri grabbed Kiikame's hand.

"Kiikame, I just want you to know that whatever happens, I will always be here for you. I will never leave you, nii (sister)."

"Thank you, Miri."

And with a small gust of wind, Kiikame was gone.

Kiikame arrived at the Uchiha Clan section of Konoha, standing at the gates and panting slightly.

"What business do you have here?" A gruff, unfriendly voice questioned.

"I am here to see Itachi."

Kiikame watched as an older man came out from behind a tree, his face was lined and he looked tired. It was Itachi's father.

"Itachi is not available. Shisui passed away last night."

Everything suddenly stopped, time itself was frozen. Kiikame felt completely numb.

'No… Shisui, he-he can't be…HE CAN'T BE!'

Kiikame felt tears well up in her eyes as the words "Shisui passed away" sunk in.

"Visitors are not welcome here, you need to leave." Fugaku said suddenly, interrupting Kiikame's thoughts.

Kiikame looked up at him,

"Please, Shisui was a good friend and training mate of mine. How did he die?"

"Suicide. Now leave before we have to arrest you."

Kiikame didn't waste a second more and teleported away from the Uchiha sector, tears flowing freely now.

Before returning home, Kiikame stopped in a special part of the woods she came to whenever she needed to be alone.

It was a patch of five enormous trees that created a sort of semicircle around a large rock , overlooking the endless forest from a cliff.

Kiikame sat on the rock and cried hard late into the night. When Kiikame could physically no longer cry, she slowly got up and walked back to her apartment.

'Miri is probably worried about me, I better get home fast.'

But when Kiikame opened the door to the apartment, she could immediately tell that no one was there.

On the counter was a note written in neat print. It was Miri.

_Kiikame,_

_I'm going to be at the hospital all night tonight. We have a serious case with a patient and I am required to stay for a few nights. Come to the hospital when you are ready to talk._

_Love, Miri_

Kiikame smiled slightly with gratitude. She was so glad she wasn't in this alone. She was lucky to have a friend like Miri.

As Kiikame set the note down, she felt a presence suddenly enter the room. Her heart began to beat faster, she had a pretty good idea of who it was.

Kiikame whirled around to come face to face with none other than Itachi.

"Itachi…what are you doing here?!"

Itachi regarded Kiikame with an emotionless expression, and something about him was cold and dangerous.

He remained silent.

Kiikame stared back at him, trying to think of what to say.

In a flash Itachi was right next to Kiikame, and before Kiikame could react, he hit a pressure point at the base of her neck, knocking her unconscious.

Catching Kiikame's limp body with ease, Itachi hoisted her into his arms and left the room without a trace.

Kiikame felt incredibly strange as she began to regain her senses. She smelled the familiar scent of pine, and she realized she was in the forest.

Carefully lifting herself off the ground, she looked around. She was in her special area in the woods.

"Don't move."

Itachi emerged from the shadows, kneeling down next to Kiikame with a kunai. He promptly shoved her up against the giant boulder a few feet across from them and looked deep into her eyes.

There was something different about Itachi's Sharingan. It was the Mangekyō.

Kiikame struggled against Itachi, but to no avail. Itachi was stonger than she was and he already held the advantage.

Feeling light headed, Kiikame began to lose consciousness again.

"Itach-i" Kiikame said, fighting the urge to slip into the darkness, "I-Itachi, wh-why?"

Kiikame swore she saw a single tear stream down Itachi's cheek as he said, "Because I have no other choice."

And then everything went blank.

**Itachi POV**

Itachi held Kiikame in his arms, holding back more tears that were threatening to spill over.

He had to be strong, kill his emotions, and embody a true ninja. Itachi was doing this for the greater good, and there was no going back now.

He had promised Shisui to protect the Leaf and the honor of the Uchiha name. It was Shisui's dying wish, and it was what Itachi wanted more than anything as well.

Itachi was the only hope of avoiding another shinobi war, and he intended to put a stop to this coup d'ètat before it would inevitably spark civil unrest among Konoha.

Setting Kiikame down into the grass, Itachi carefully brushed some of her soft blonde hair out of her face.

He gazed at her peaceful features. She was so beautiful, and he hated that things had to be this way.

Leaning down to eye level with Kiikame, Itachi took her face into his hands, placing a soft, loving kiss on her forehead.

Itachi swiftly got up and disappeared into the night without a trace, leaving whatever emotions he had left with Kiikame's silent, unmoving body.

When Itachi entered the Uchiha sector, he sat on top of the highest pole, eyes closed.

No one was aware of his presence.

Yet.

Focusing all of his energy, Itachi activated his newly acquired Mangekyō Sharingan, and opened his eyes.

A blood red full of malevolence and violence filled the night sky.

Itachi Uchiha was a changed man now, for better or for worse.

He knew that from this day forward, his path into the darkness would begin.

**End of POV**

A bird chirped in the distance and a bumblebee hummed close to Kiikame's ear. She was acutely aware of all the various sounds of nature around her. It was pleasant.

Blissfully oblivious to anything other than the natural world around her, Kiikame smiled, basking in the warm sunlight that filtered through the pine trees.

Her pleasant state didn't last very long though, and everything came crashing down the instant she was more self-aware.

Kiikame would've gone into hysterics had she not been so emotionally drained from the night before, but because she was so spent, only a single shining tear flowed down her face. She watched as the small droplet melted into the soil below her.

If only she could cry or wail to express the broken emptiness she was currently feeling.

Two of the most precious people in her life had joined the hundreds of those Kiikame had already lost, and just that thought was nearly unbearable.

Kiikame simply laid there in the grass and dirt, unable to move. She wished feverently that this was all a bad dream that she would wake up, but she knew deep down that this was reality.

'If this is what being a ninja is, I wish I was never born into this world. No one deserves this amount of pain and suffering.'

And Kiikame wasn't just referring to herself, but to Shisui, Itachi, and everyone else that had the misfortune of being part of the ninja world.

It truly was a terrible fate.

"KIIKAME?! KIIKAME! KIIIIIIIIIKAMMMMEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

Miri's tortured screams filled the air, sending a jolt of adrenaline to racing through Kiikame's body.

If Kiikame was physically able, she would've jumped up right then and there and sprinted into Miri's arms, but she just laid there, numb and broken.

Lucky for Kiikame, Miri spotted her platinum blond locks wildly splayed on the green grass moments later, and she was soon by Kiikame's side.

"Oh my god, I can't believe you're still alive! I-I..I thought you were dead!" Miri blurted, giving Kiikame a bone-crushing hug, tears streaming down her face.

"Oh Kiikame! They're all dead! Everyone but Sasuke is dead! T-the Uchiha…The Uchiha Clan is gone! It was terrible! It was like the Yuki Clan massacre all over again, only this time there were a lot more victims! Why did this happen, Kiikame?!"

Miri began to wail while Kiikame rubbed her back.

"I don't know why things like this happen, Miri, but we have to believe that something good will come out of this. Though we do not know why this happened, we need to believe that this was done to prevent something much worse from happening. It's all we can do at the moment."

Kiikame sounded more convincing then she felt.

"K-K-iikam-e," Miri said between sobs, "I-t-t was I-I-ta-ch-i."

"W-what?"

"It was Itachi, he-he m-m-murdered hi-his clan."

Miri began crying hysterically all over again, unable to speak anymore.

Kiikame felt as if she had just been stabbed right through the heart. No, like her soul itself had been ripped right out of her body and torn to pieces.

She didn't even feel human anymore. She felt so numb it was like she wasn't even there.

'Itachi. Shisui. I thought I knew them better than anyone, but I really didn't know them at all.'

It was like she died, and in a way, part of her did in that moment.

**Hello all! **

**My god this chapter is so emotional! *dabs eyes***

**I hope you all had a wonderful holiday and have an amazing rest of your year! Remember to review/favorite/follow if you enjoy this story! Thank you to all of my fans and supporters, you mean the world to me :)**

**Until next time, **

**-VampireKnightgrlKiwi**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Unbearable.

That's how the rest of the year went for Kiikame.

She felt as though she had lost everything. Shisui's death, Itachi's disappearance, and the Uchiha massacre were all compounded onto the annihilation of her own clan several years before, making her all the more miserable and depressed.

Everything she knew had been snatched away from her for a second time. She didn't know how she wasn't completely broken by now.

Though Kiikame still had Miri, she found that Miri was at the hospital most of the time. Miri had been working as an apprentice with a younger kunoichi named Sakura under Tsunade, an amazing medical nin who had recently become Hokage.

Because of Miri's absence, Kiikame was alone most of the time. When Kiikame wasn't training herself to death, she was usually in the forest or in her apartment, ruminating.

Everything just seemed so incredibly empty. Kiikame didn't have anything to hold on to, nothing to hope for or dream of.

The sole reason she didn't completely lose herself was because of Miri, and even that barely kept her sane. Miri was almost completely absent from her life, though it wasn't her fault.

Kiikame was happy for Miri, she was thriving in the medical field and seemed to be really enjoy herself. Miri had even made some great friends, including her training mate, Haruno Sakura.

This made Kiikame a tad bit jealous. Miri seemed to be living an amazing life, while she rotted alone in her misery and considered joining Miri and Sakura, but Kiikame ultimately decided against it. Ninjutsu, taijutsu, genjutsu, and her kekkei genkai were what she truly exceled in.

In fact, Kiikame had gotten considerably more powerful; to the point that she was almost never equally matched when she spared with other Jōnin or Anbu.

The only time Kiikame wasn't weighed down by her emotions was when she was fighting, training, or learning, and because of her relentless training, she was one of the best ninja's in Konoha. All of her hard work and various missions helped distract her from all the darkness that consumed her, but even then it didn't stop it from coming up at night.

Horrible nightmares full of death and gore tortured Kiikame in her dreams. On more than one occasion, Kiikame would find herself drenched in sweat screaming and crying.

Her lack of sleep combined with her insane training regime had caused Kiikame's health to falter. Right now she had terrible congestion, headaches, and fatigue.

This couldn't go on, and Kiikame knew it. Something had to change, and she felt a strong urge to escape her apartment and get some fresh air.

Quickly throwing the covers off of her, Kiikame slipped into her ninja gear, washed her face, fixed her hair into a neat braid down her back, and jumped out of her window.

The crisp night air whooshed across her face, her long blonde braid flying behind her.

Once she was in the middle of the deep Konoha woods, Kiikame stopped, caught her breath and laid against a thick tree branch. She gazed up at the millions of stars above her, a deep longing in her heart.

Before Kiikame could process another thought, something unusual pricked at her consciousness. There was someone or _something_ here that wasn't supposed to be.

Eyeing the perimeter and focusing her energy, Kiikame was able to pinpoint massive amounts of chakra about 40 miles to the East. Whatever it was, it was approaching at a rather rapid rate.

Right then the Akatsuki flashed through her mind. They were an extremely powerful organization that would occasionally cause distress in various villages. No one knew exactly what they were after, but it was clear that no village was safe from them.

'It must be a few members from the Akatsuki… I wonder what they're after.'

Kiikame began to panic. She was way too far away from the Konoha to warn someone else, and in her current weakened state, Kiikame wasn't quite so sure she could take on whatever she would be facing.

'Perhaps I can lay some traps throughout the area while I try to get back and warn someone, that way I could slow them down at least a little and increase my chances of getting backup.'

Getting to work straight away, Kiikame dropped low to the ground, freezing the surrounding area in a thin layer of clear ice so that the ice would blend in with everything it froze.

'That should slip them up a bit.'

Kiikame then raced into the trees heading west towards the village. Every five miles or so, Kiikame would stop briefly to lay more obstacles, making sure the traps were scattered in a way that would cause the intruders to run into another trap if they tried to sidestep the other.

By the time she got to the village gates, Kiikame was exhausted. Panting and wiping sweat from her brow, she quickly informed the guard at the gate of what she had experienced and what she had done to slow the intruders' progress.

The guard remained silent, staring at Kiikame with an emotionless expression.

Before Kiikame could say or do something else, the guard got up from his station and began to walk towards Kiikame.

"Thank you very much for the information, Kiikame-san, however…"

The guard stopped right infront of Kiikame, a wicked gleam in his eyes.

"You're efforts, though valiant, have been… unsuccessful."

Kiikame's heart stopped at the guards' words. This wasn't Izumo, it was Itachi Uchiha, and from behind him a giant blue shark-man appeared. He was Kisame Hoshigaki of the Hidden Mist.

Izumo's form melded into Itachi, and Kiikame regarded him with a hardened expression.

"Uchiha Itachi and Hoshigaki Kisame."

Kisame smirked at this, hefting his enormous sword onto his right shoulder.

"So you know who I am, eh? Impressive. Pleased to meet you, Yukimori Kiikame."

Kiikame looked at Kisame with a blank expression, not giving away her true emotions. Right now she was beyond freaked out, and there was no clear way out of this predicament. She couldn't warn anyone now, there was no way in hell she could get past these two without either; A. Dying or B. Getting captured.

She could always turn and run into the forest, but they would probably catch her. Even if she managed to escape, Kiikame hadn't packed proper supplies for surviving in the wilderness for a long period of time.

'I guess I could always improve, I have the skills and know plenty about nature. It's clear they're after me, because they've already been in the village and they are blocking my way. They don't want me to warn anyone else and get reinforcements.'

"What business do you have with me?"

"The leader of the Akatsuki wishes for you to be among our ranks."

Kiikame couldn't help but look surprised as the words left Itachi's mouth.

The Akatsuki wanted _her _to join them? Kiikame knew she was very powerful, but there HAD to be plenty of other ninja who were just as skilled and who weren't tied to a village. Recruiting rogue ninja was a much quicker process that didn't involve entire villages.

'It must be my Kekkei Genkai that sets me apart from the rest.' Kiikame realized, turning her attention back to Itachi and Kisame.

"I am disinclined to acquiesce your leader's request."

Itachi's eyes hardened and Kisame tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword.

"You don't have a choice, Kiikame, You come with us or die."

Just as Itachi uttered the last syllable, his hand went whooshing past Kiikame's neck, barely missing a nerve point, while Kisame surrounded them in a water dome full of sharks.

Kiikame sidestepped Itachi just in time to avoid his first hit, but not the second.

As Itachi's foot made impact with Kiikame's stomach, a shadow clone appeared behind her, catching her in an iron grip. The shadow clone Itachi forced his leg between Kiikame's and lifted her off the ground, restraining both her arms behind her back.

The real Itachi slowly made his way to the restrained Kiikame, Sharingan activated. Grabbing Kiikame under her jaw roughly, Itachi forced Kiikame to look him straight in the eye.

Kiikame kept her eyes tightly shut, struggling between Itachi and his clone.

"Look at me." The real Itachi demanded threateningly, his deep voice consuming Kiikame's every thought.

As a response, Kiikame whipped her head to the side and squeezed her eyes tighter.

Itachi didn't repeat his command, instead tightening his already suffocating grip on Kiikame, the clone doing likewise. Then slowly forcing Kiikame's head to face him directly again, Itachi said, "I can be very patient, Kiikame, but I don't have much time. It will be up to you whether you suffocate or cooperate."

Running out of oxygen and gasping for air, Kiikame involuntarily opened her eyes as she began to choke. Right as she did, her azure gaze met the fiery depths of Itachi's Sharingan.

Itachi's chokehold immediately loosened as he released his hand from her throat, grabbing Kiikame under the jaw to keep her head from moving. Itachi stared deep into her eyes.

"You're coming with us."

Kiikame stared back at Itachi, unable to summon any strength to fight. His eyes bore into hers, making her feel incredibly dizzy and tired. Before Kiikame lost consciousness, she weakly said Itachi's name as a single shining tear trickled down her face.

A flash of powerful emotion raced through Itachi's eyes, but it vanished as quickly as it came. Itachi's gaze returned to it's blank state as Kiikame's eyes closed and her body went limp.

Collecting Kiikame into his arms, Itachi made his way over to Kisame, his clone vanishing.

"Shall we go?" Kisame said.

It was more of a statement than a question.

Itachi simply nodded as he took off into the trees at a lightning fast pace, Kisame close behind him.

**Itachi POV**

Itachi glanced down at Kiikame, who was sleeping peacefully in his arms. She had changed a lot since he had last spoken with her.

He and Kisame had been keeping an eye on Kiikame for the past two weeks, observing her training and waiting for the right moment to capture her. Itachi was impressed by her growth as a ninja. She would be a powerful ally for the Akatsuki.

Pein had had the upmost interest in Kiikame ever since he discovered that she was a surviving member of the Yuki Clan who possessed Ice Release. Once it was confirmed that she was an incredibly skilled and talented shinobi, Pein immediately assigned Itachi and Kisame with her capture.

Itachi didn't quite comprehend why Pein was so focused on capturing Kiikame now, as they were not in need of new Akatsuki members. There had to be something that Pein wasn't telling them.

Pein knew something about Kiikame and the Yuki Clan that he wasn't telling any of the members, and this bothered Itachi immensely. He usually knew what motivated someone.

It was obvious that she wasn't intended to be a decoy for the Kyuubi. He and Kisame could've easily captured someone else who was of lower rank and had a closer relationship with Naruto. Not to mention the fact that he and Kisame wouldn't have had to waste so much precious time watching and waiting for the opportune moment to strike.

The only thing Itachi could hypothesize was that either Kiikame had some sort of amazing power, or she somehow was the "key" to something else that had immense amounts of power.

**End of POV**

**Hello Everyone! **

**I hope you enjoyed the 9th chapter in my series _Of Ice & Fire! _Feel free to PM me with ideas/questions/concerns/requests/etc., any feedback and/or support is greatly appreciated. If you enjoy this story, remember to follow/favorite/review!**

**Happy reading!**

**-VampireKnightgrlKiwi**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

The smoky crackling of a fire roused Kiikame from a wakeful slumber. She slowly opened her eyes, not daring to move until she was more aware of her situation.

Kiikame saw Kisame straight across from her sharpening a few kunai, but Itachi wasn't around.

Before she could twist her neck to see anything else, Itachi's voice suddenly cut in, making Kiikame jump slightly with surprise.

"I see you're awake."

Kiikame turned her head to the left as Itachi came out of nowhere next to the tree she was tied to.

"Looks like the Ice Princess is awake after all. She's been asleep the entire time, I thought you may have gone too far, Itachi." Kisame said in his dry humor, a smirk showing off his white razor teeth as he looked up from his kunai.

'Ice Princess, huh? I wonder if Itachi ever told Kisame about my old nickname or if it was something the shark came up with on his own.'

Proceeding to ignore Itachi and Kisame, Kiikame attempted to get up, but failed. Both her arms and her legs had been restrained, and not with just any rope, but with chakra ropes.

Itachi looked down at Kiikame with an emotionless expression.

"You will remain like that until we decide that we can trust you."

"I highly doubt you will _ever_ be able to obtain my trust again."

Anger flickered across Itachi's face, but it was too dark to really determine the depth of it. Was it just slight annoyance or full-blown animosity? She couldn't tell. The only thing that Kiikame could clearly depict in the firelight was Itachi's red eyes, which narrowed dangerously.

"We shall find out in time."

Itachi turned his back to Kiikame, walked to the fire, and sat a few feet away from Kisame. Both began talking in hushed tones, clearly making sure Kiikame didn't hear anything they were discussing.

Irritated and hungry, Kiikame observed the remainder of her surroundings. She noted anything in the vicinity that may assist in an escape should she be presented with the opportunity.

A little while later as Kiikame was pondering how she could turn one of the thick pine branches into a deadly ice weapon, Itachi suddenly interrupted her thoughts.

"Kisame will undo your arm restraints, but it would do you well to remember that we've placed chakra seals on your arms."

Itachi then knelt down, placing two onigiri, a small piece of dried fish, and a container of water at Kiikame's feet.

Almost instantaneously, Kiikame felt the chakra ropes immobilizing her upper body disappear, though the bottom ones only increased in strength.

'Of course.' Kiikame thought, irritated. The ropes had already been strong enough, but now they went from being uncomfortable to completely and utterly miserable. They were squeezing her lower body with an almost unbearable pressure.

Doing her best to ignore the strain of the ropes, Kiikame watched as Kisame and Itachi walked back to the opposite side of the fire, sitting right across from her. Even though they continued their discussion, Kisame and Itachi occasionally glanced at Kiikame, making sure that she wasn't doing anything suspicious.

Turning her attention to her food, Kiikame gently picked up one of the onigiri and took a small bite out of it.

For food that was made for convenience and travel, it was really good! After a slightly larger second bite, Kiikame broke into the center, which was cabbage and seaweed.

'Interesting… I remember cabbage and seaweed onigiri being one of Itachi's favorite foods. I wonder if he made these…'

Once Kiikame politely finished her meal, she drank some water and neatly folded the leaf that her food had been wrapped in. Even when she was in the wilderness as a hostage, she still had manners!

About a half an hour later, Itachi approached her again, taking the leaf and empty water container. Kiikame glanced up at him.

"Thank you."

Itachi merely looked at her for a second, then turned and walked back to his spot near Kisame, who got up and promptly re-restrained Kiikame's upper body.

'You could at least say "You're welcome", Kiikame thought bitterly. 'He's even more closed off than he was when he and Shisui got more involved with the Hokage and village elders.'

Kiikame felt a sting of sadness at the recollection. The three used to be so close. She missed the old days, before they got older and shouldered more responsibilities in the village.

**Flashback**

"Oi, Ice Princess! Wait up!"

Kiikame smiled when she turned around to see Shisui and Itachi running behind her, attempting to catch up.

"What are you two doing? You're late!"

"Late?! As if! You're the one who is always early!"

"Hmph, well maybe you can learn a thing or two from me, Wheel Eyes!"

"Hey! What did you call me?!" Shisui laughed as he looked over at Itachi, "What do you say Itachi, should we take her?!"

Itachi nodded his head in agreement, shouting in a playful tone, "I think we should, Shisui. Watch out Ice Princess, the fire is coming to the melt ice!"

"Is that so?" Kiikame replied, tossing an ice orb up and down into her palm, "Come and see what you can do about it, wheel-eyed weaklings!"

With agility and grace, Kiikame slammed the orb down into the ground from which a giant tower of ice exploded from. Armed with a variety of ballista, Kiikame shot hundreds of sharp icicles at Itachi and Shisui from all directions.

Itachi, being incredibly skilled with kunai, immediately threw ten at the hundreds of icy projectiles, only to quickly follow up with four more that bounced off the others. This wiped out the majority of Kiikame's icicles, and Shisui had disappeared in the midst of all the clanging metal and ice.

Quickly forming an ice shield above her head, Kiikame moved to the side just in time to see her shield shatter into millions of pieces as Shisui dropped in on her from the sky.

Shisui threw a barrage of flaming kunai at Kiikame, who shot balls of water at them to extinguish the flames and throw the kunai off course. Shisui's form suddenly disappeared and reappeared behind Kiikame. He grabbed Kiikame from behind, restraining her and holding his tantō to her neck.

Just as the tantō made contact with Kiikame's skin, she turned into a solid ice clone, trapping the tantō in the ice.

Before Shisui could rip his tantō out of the ice, the entire ice fortress began to melt. Taking advantage of the weakened ice, Shisui yanked his tantō out of the clone and swiftly teleported away from the melting fortress.

Using his Sharingan, he spotted the real Kiikame hiding among the bushes at the edge of the forest.

Realizing she was caught, Kiikame burst out of the bushes flying across ice that she generated under her feet, holding a curved, lightning-blue sword.

Shisui and Kiikame clashed, the tantō and blue sword producing reddish-orange sparks to dance around as the two engaged in an intense battle of bukijutsu.

Then out of nowhere, a giant flock of crows erupted all around Shisui and Kiikame, temporarily throwing them off-guard.

"I see you've sided with the Ice Princess."

Itachi materialized next to Kiikame as Shisui made the observation.

"It's only fair that one of us take her side from time to time."

Shisui smiled and nodded in agreement, then he lowered himself into a fighting stance.

"Prepare yourselves, I won't hold back on you two!"

Kiikame and Itachi immediately stiffened, ready for Shisui's next move. Before Shisui attacked, Kiikame glanced over at Itachi, who was now right by her side.

Itachi noticed her gaze and sapphire eyes met crimson ones. His eyes were filled with something… was it appreciation? No, it was stronger. Did Kiikame dare call it affection?

A warm hand softly brushed the inside of Kiikame's wrist, breaking her train of thought. Itachi had a gentle hold on Kiikame's wrist, barely an inch from the top of her palm. He smiled softly at her, and Kiikame blushed slightly from the unexpected contact.

"This will be a battle of ice and fire, but now you have fire on your side. Do not worry so much, we have the advantage."

Kiikame smiled back at Itachi, moving her hand down to meet Itachi's in a quick display of deep affection.

"Then let us beat Shisui, in the name of ice and fire."

**End of Flashback**

Snapping out of her daydream of the past, Kiikame shook her head back and forth in small, controlled movements.

That all happened such a long time ago, besides, an Uchiha prodigy holding affection for her? Impossible.

Their situation truly was like ice and fire, the two were polar-opposite, forbidden to love the other. It was common knowledge that two of the forces of nature, ice and fire, were natural enemies.

The two could not coexist without destroying the other.

Right then realization dawned on Kiikame. Maybe that was why her relationship with the two Uchiha prodigies crumbled after a time, they weren't meant to coexist, even the natural world forbid it.

For some reason, the thought made her incredibly forlorn and melancholy, and Kiikame felt an all too familiar ache in her heart.

She still cared. She still cared so much about Itachi and Shisui. No matter how much Itachi had changed, and no matter how distant Shisui was now that he had died, Kiikame still cared.

Deep down, Kiikame knew that Itachi and Shisui were, and remained to be the honorable shinobi she grew up with in Konoha. She decided right then that no matter what happened, they would always hold a special place in her memory and heart.

No matter what, even if circumstances forced her and Itachi to fight to the death.

She knew that she couldn't be part of the Akatsuki. Despite the dark events that she experienced in Konoha, it was her home. Living the life of a rogue ninja was not one she was willing to go back to, and she would fight with everything she had to regain her life in Konoha.

What would become of Miri if Kiikame became a member of the Akatsuki? She shuddered at the thought. Miri would be absolutely heartbroken, Kiikame was sure of that. How could she put her best friend, who she'd been through _everything_ with, in that kind of terrible position? How could she desert her like that?

No, Kiikame couldn't. She wouldn't do it, and no one in the Akatsuki could change her mind.

If she couldn't escape, she would fight tooth and nail. She would try to kill Itachi and Kisame and then hunt down the rest of them until they could no longer cause meaningless harm to other villages and shinobi.

Kiikame laughed softly at the thoughts she was having with dark humor.

'I've truly been damned since the day I came into the world. Hopefully I can shed some light on this brutal and merciless way of life, even if just a little.'

**Hello Everyone!**

**Because I will be very busy this week, I wanted to get another chapter out incase I didn't have enough time to write. I hope you enjoy the 10th chapter to _Of Ice & Fire! _As always, remember to follow/favorite/review if you enjoy this story!Thank you all for your continued support. **

**Until next time, **

**-VampireKnightgrlKiwi**


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